Some few
persons were lost, but not many.
Upon the 10th of June came news to this Court of the total rout of Don
John of Austria at the battle of Evora;[Footnote: Pepys, speaking of
this battle, in which the Portuguese completely defeated the
Spaniards, says--"4th July, 1663. Sir Allen Apsley showed the Duke the
Lisbon Gazette, in Spanish, where the late victory is set down
particularly, and to the great honour of the English beyond measure.
They have since taken back Evora, which was lost to the Spaniards, the
English making the assault, and lost not more than three men."-Diary,
vol. ii-p. 68.] after which our house and tables were full of
distressed, honest, brave English soldiers, who by their own and their
fellows' valour had got one of the greatest victories that ever was.
These poor but brave men were almost lost between the Portuguese
poverty and the Lord Chancellor Hyde's neglect, not to give it a worse
name.[Footnote: It appears however, from Sir Robert Southwell's
Account of Portugal (p.138), that Charles II was so pleased with the
gallantry of his troops at the battle of Evora, (or, as it is more
commonly called by historians, of Ameixal,) that he caused a gratuity
of 40,000 crowns to be distributed among them. It would seem that the
"neglect" of which Lady Fanshawe complains, was entirely on the side
of the Portuguese. Sir Robert Southwell mentions some curious
anecdotes on this subject, particularly with reference to the
statement in the Lisbon Gazette, alluded to in the preceding note.
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